The Final Curtain of Film School: The Thesis Film

It’s been almost four years since I started my film school journey and I can’t believe how quickly the experience has gone by. I remember sitting at a desk my senior year of high school wondering what would be next, and today as I’m about to reach that place of uncertainty yet again, I am faced with a similar question. What’s next?

I feel like so much hinges on that question, and the ambiguous future of my final project. The film that I make during my senior year is important for two reasons. One being that it’s the last time I’ll have the support of a major institution, providing me with most of the equipment and some of the other resources that I’ll need to make a film. The second reason being that this film is the last chance that I have to show the world everything that I’ve learned over the past three years, and this is my final opportunity to showcase my ability to effectively create a piece of work within the short film genre, with the support of my school. Thus, the answer to “What’s Next” rests in the hands of my Capstone film.

So many questions run through my mind about whether or not I’m prepared for this, and in a way, I’m also inclined to think about my “legacy” in my film program. I want to leave behind a great product that I can be proud of, and at the same time, I also want to create something that sheds a good light on my school and the professors who have taught me so much.

As I enter the preproduction stage, full swing, I think it’s important for me to keep in mind that I still have to enjoy this process. Yes, they teach us that at the end of the day, if you want to sell a movie, you’ve got to look at it as a product. But I don’t want that to stop me from fully embracing the process of creating art, or deter me from attempting to make art in the future. Whatever happens, however this project turns out, I just hope that I’ve got the skills and drive to reach my next.